Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not

Main Menu

THE KOCH BROTHERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

The power of money is amazing and the power of using a lot of money to lobby for what you want is even more amazing. Just this week, the Koch Brothers announced their plan to spend a bloody fortune in the race to the White House in 2016. Now everyone has the right to spend their money as they wish, but let us consider the consequences for a moment. The Koch Brothers said that they plan on spending about 900 million dollars on the campaign for President. Nine hundred million, that’s right, million, which is more money than the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee spends combined. I guess when you are the 4th and 5th wealthiest people in the whole world a few million dollars is just pocket change.

Let us look at the consequences! Do we still have a democratic Republic when these oligarchs have so much power? Money equals power and unless we reform our electoral process and campaign finance reform laws people like the Koch brothers corrupt our system of government.

A lot of the money that the Koch Brothers earn comes from oil and gas. They help to spread the word that climate change is not happening because if you reduce the use of fossil fuels they will make less money. Of course, the question comes to mind how much money is enough money? But for the Koch brothers and others, when it comes to making money there is never enough money, influence and power to acquire.

In states such as Oklahoma and soon Indiana there will be a financial penalty for having solar panels to produce electricity. And who do you think is working on doing this kind of nonsensical governmental intrusion, the Koch brothers? So much for free enterprise, there is nothing free about it when these two men can fill the pockets of politicians. Climate denial individuals are in the most part paid for by the oil and gas industry.

By putting their vast monetary resources at work, they are impacting through lobbying the free market forces that conservatives so fervently tout. We have a perverted form of capitalism when greed distorts what is right for America and for the world.

Listen folks, climate change or what I like to call it, climate volatility, is dangerous to the survival of the human race. We only have one planet Earth to live on. It is probably too late to stop climate change but we must act to reduce carbon emissions. We must plan on how to deal with the consequences of climate change, as the oceans rise and countries and cities in the coastal areas will have huge problems in the future. We must prepare ourselves on how we are going to deal with the human costs of climate change. Humans are not meant to breathe carbon dioxide. Oxygen is our preferred choice for breathing. There is no denying that there is more and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Money is the mother’s milk of politics as the former speaker of the California Assembly, Jess Unruh used to say. And a lot of money spent is corrupting and it corrupts absolutely.

Too much money in politics puts democracy on its head. It is becoming not the United States of America but an America by and for the Koch brothers and other oligarchs. It is no longer that sweet land of liberty of thee we see but a land where too often, now, we feel the earth shake where it had never shaken before and we see explosions and oil leaks that are wrecking havoc with our streams and rivers. We see children and their parents now being poisoned by the waters in fracking areas. So much for free enterprise when the price of the health and well being of the people are being forsaken. The oligarchs are insatiable. Greed and the ever thirsty oligarchs, who thirst for more money and more power are leaving America the Beautiful behind and leaving us with nothing but decay and despair.

It is to the Koch Brothers self interest to influence their bought and paid for politicians to put a stop to alternative energy development. It is to the human race’s interest that we develop solar and wind power and other forms of alternative energy. Our very survival as a species is at stake.